Type-writing machine.



Patented 1an. l, Ism. lw. H. Gmrrm a w. r. numana. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

(Application med .rune 29. 1900.,

(No Model.) 2 sheatsheet I l Q Q (QI @la GIGI@ l I Q @DTQDT` No. 665,090 A Patented lan. I, |901. W. H. GRIFFIN &; W. F. PLUMMER. Y

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

(Appliation .filed Juas 29, 1900.) y ("0 "ml-9 Q '2 sheets-sneer;

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UNITED STATES y PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM II. GRIFFIN, or WINDSOR, AND WILLIAM E. PLUMMER, CE NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

TYPE-WRITING MACHIN E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,090, dated January 1, 1901.

Application filed J' une 29, 1900.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. GRIFFIN, of Windsor, in the county of Hartford, and WILLIAM F. PLUMMER, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven, State of Connecticut,

have invented certain new andruseful Improvements in Type-Writing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

- The within described invention relates more particularly to that class of type-writing machines in which a shift mechanism is embodied for the purpose of shifting the platen, so vas to vary the kind or character of the imprint; and its object is to increase the speed I5 of possible operation, to better distribute the work of writing by enabling the thumbs of the operator to be used, -and to decrease the labor of writing.

One form of device in which the invention 2o may be carried out is illustrated in the acl companying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top or plan view of part. of the frame of a Remington type-writing machine, showing the keyboard. Fig. 2 is a view in cross section of the frame and keyboard, showing the carriage also and the connecting parts between the carriage and the shiftlever. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the removable form 0I the shift-lever. Fig. 4. is a detail end View of: this shift-lever.

In the form of keyboard in common use on several forms of type-writing machines and known as the Universal the arrangement of the characters is such that by far the greater part of the work of spelling out the words in writing is thrown upon the left hand,

and as the shift-key is also located on the' left side of the keyboard this adds yet more' work for the left hand. Our within described invention so arranges the mechanism that the thumb of either hand can be used to manipulate the shift key or lever and this without moving the hand from the normal position in which it is held over the keyboard for the easiest access to the keys in writing. It is of particular value in that system known as touch type-writing, in which allof the fingers are used, each hand having a half or distinct section of the keyboard over which it is held and each linger having not more than two keys to operate,'because then the Serial No. 22,018. (No model.)

thumbs are located near the center of the front side of the keyboard and are utilized to operate the shift-lever.

In the accompanying drawings only so much of the mechanism of the type-writing machine as relates to the shift mechanism is shown, for the reason that the machine as a whole is a common and well-known structure. 6o

- The letter d denotes the frame of the machine, and b the keyboard as a whole, the keys c being disposed to represent the Universal form.

The dotted line l 2 in Fig. l indicates the 65 central line of the keyboard, and the letter d the shift-lever, which for convenience of construction is shown in a form readily applicable to the Remington type-writing machine now in common use. This shift-lever 7o (or shift-key) is located in or near the central plane of the keyboard and near Ithe front of the frame or the lower bank of keys, out of the way of the space-bar e.' To any suitable supporting part, by preference the frame of the machine, this shift-lever d is pivoted,with one arm forming a thumb-piece d and the other attached, as by Ineans of a link f, to the carriageshift key g. The thumb-piece may be formed as to its surface so as to pre- 8o sent a shoulder or flange d2 of rounded outline to afford a hold for the thumb, so that it will not slip as pressure is applied to rock the lever. This thumb-piece may be of a length to extend across the central plane l 2 of the 85 keyboard, and thus underlie the thumbof each hand as it is heldin the position required by the touch system of type-writing, in convenient position to be operated by eitherV thumb. When so constructed and arranged, 9o the shift-key is operated readily without moving either hand to one side. The main feature of our invention is this central location of the shift-lever, with ya thumb-piece accessible to the thumb of the operator and means to connect this lever with the carriage-shift key, although, of course, the use is not limited to the thumb should the writer prefer to use either finger to operate the shift device; but the greater advantage isgained by using Ioo the thumb.

In the form shown the shift-lever d is pivoted to a base h, which is a block channeled to t upon the edge of the front bar of the skeleton frame of the base of the typewriting machine and secured thereto by clampscrews z', although it is obvious that other forms of bracket-support for the shift-lever may be provided without departing from our invention. The lower arm of the shift-lever d has a lateral extension (Z3, so as to enablea sim ple link connection with the ordinary keylevel' to be made, as by means of the link f, as shown. This form of shift-lever and bracket is removable at Will and maybe rmly attached to the standard form of type-Writing machines having condensed keyboards with but slight changes in form or proportions of the parts, such changes being Within the ordinary skill of the Workman familiar with this art.

As shown herein, the shift-lever swings on a pivot, so as to require a pressure toward the keyboard in order to operate it; but this direction of movement is not essential to t-he in ven tion. It is preferred as most convenient to the thumb of the operator, by which the lever is best manipulated, because the position of the hand can then be maintained steadily for ordinary Work.

Our invention also contemplates the subdivision of the shift-lever in case it is desired to have one lever shift from lower to upper ease and the other from letters to nu mbers and miscellaneous characters, and in that case the th umh-pieces are located on opposite sides of the central plane of the keyboard, so as to be operated by both thumbs, respectively.

The operation of a machine embodying the invention is so clear from the above description of the construction and arrangement of the parts as not to require any extended eX- planation, and it is to be understood that We do not limit our invention to the particular form or arrangement of the several elements, but contemplate its embodiment in such form as may be most convenient for the particular form or make ot' type-Writing machine in connection with which the device is used.

- What We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In combination in a type-Writing 1nachine having a condensed keyboard and a carriage-shift key, a shift-lever hinged to the frame of the machine and having a thumbpiece located in front of and at or near the center of the keyboard.

2. In combination in "a type- Writing machine having a condensed keyboard, a shiftlever pivotally connected to the carriage-shift key and having a thumb-piece located in front ot' and extending across the central plane of the keyboard.

3. In combination in a typewriting machine having a condensed keyboard and acarriage-shift key, a shift-lever hinged to the frame of the machine, a connection between the said carriage-shift key and the shift-lever,the th umh-piece of said shift-lever located in front of and near the center of the keyboard and arranged to swing toward and from said keyboard.

4:. In combination in a type-writing machine having a condensed keyboard and a carriage-shift key,a shiftlever removably hinged to the frame of the machine and having a thumb-piece located in front of and at or near the center of the keyboard.

5. In combination in a typeWritUg machine having a condensed keyboard and a carriage-shift key, a shift-lever hinged to a block or base, means for removably clamping said base to the frame of the machine, the shiftlever pivoted to said hase and having one arm connected to the carriage-shift key and the other uptu rned to form a th u mb-piece located in front of and near the center of the key board and arranged to have a swinging movement toward and from said keyboard.

6. In combination in a type-Writing machine having a carriageshift key, a shift-1ever pivotaily mounted in front of and at or near the center of the keyboard, means for connecting one arm of said lever with the carriage-shift key, and a thumb-piece having a holding-surface arranged to move toward and from the keyboard.

WILLIAM II. GRIFFIN. WILLIAM F. PLUMMER.

Witnesses to signature of William II. Grit iin:

ARTHUR B. JENKINS, WILLIAM H. BARKER.

Witnesses to signature of IVilliam F. Plnmmer:

EDWIN A. SMITH, L. ERWIN JAooBs. 

